Change your life with positive thinking October 1, 2013 – Posted in: Personal Development, Uncategorized – Tags: Life Coach, Life Coaching, Positive psychology, positive thinking, success

Did you know that your entire life is the product of your thoughts?  What I mean by this is that we create our own reality based on our paradigms and beliefs about life.  Let me give you an example…

Two women, let’s call them Laura and Kate, are stood together at the Grand Canyon overlooking the incredible views. They are side by side experiencing exactly the same moment. Except that Kate’s paradigm of the world is that it’s unpredictable and dangerous so she experiences fear and doubt, “What if we can’t get back down?” she worries…  Laura, on the other hand, has a more positive paradigm of life and therefore experiences the view with awe and excitement.  The view is exactly the same but each woman has ‘felt’ it differently according to her paradigm.

We’ve all experienced pain and disappointment in our lives but those who’ve learned to see setbacks as opportunities for growth are those living happy, fulfilling lives.  With this in mind, how often do you view your situation negatively or from a fear-based paradigm?  A job loss could be viewed as a disaster or an opportunity for development depending on your viewpoint.  You can choose to be a victim of circumstance or a grasper of opportunities.  Of course, I’m not advocating we all go around pretending painful things don’t hurt BUT with a more positive viewpoint, the most difficult situations can become your greatest teachers and open the door to new experiences.

If you see life positively you are also far more likely to experience positive things.  Why?  Because your brain is wired to seek out that which it expects.  Look for a dark cloud and you’ll find one.  Look for a silver lining and that’s what you’ll see. Thinking about a situation negatively doesn’t change the circumstances; it just makes you feel worse about them.  This is proven in positive thinking psychology.  Accepting the reality of your situation and choosing to react positively empowers you to take charge if your life and live it on your terms!

So, the next time you’re about the bemoan your situation ask yourself this question, “What else is true?” Finding something positive to focus on, even if it’s through gritted teeth, will change your life one thought at a time.

This blog post first appeared as an article in my Life Column in The Bath Magazine.